South Highland Avenue bridge closed until fall

Span connects Shadyside with East Liberty

UPDATED 12:52 PM EST Mar 04, 2013

PITTSBURGH -

While the South Highland Avenue bridge is considered small, it's essential to Pittsburgh's traffic flow.

But the sidewalk is wooden and unsteady, with holes that provide a clear view of trains passing below. That's just one of the problems with the bridge that connects Shadyside and East Liberty, and it's one of the reasons why the span must be replaced.

"It's scary to walk on that side of the bridge with the wood, and on the other side you can see down and through," said Trevor Piotrowski, who works in Shadyside. "It really does need it so we're all kind of happy about that."

The bridge over Ellsworth Avenue and the Port Authority East Busway was shut down early Monday so construction crews could get ready to start work on the project. The closure is expected to last until the middle of September.